Hub for couplings or pulleys



(Model.)

R. WHITLI-IILL.

HUB POR GOUPLINGS 0R PULLEYS.

Patented June 19,1883.

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i UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

ROERT VHITEHILL, OF MILVAUKEE, VISCONSIN.

HUB FOR COUPLINGS OR PULLEYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,623, dated June 19, 1883.

Application filed October lll` 1882. (Model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that l, ROBERT WHITEHILL, of

lMilwaukee7 county of Milwaukee, State of W'isconsin, have invented an Improvement in Hubs for Couplings or Pulleys, of which the following description, in connection with thc accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention has for its object the production of a simpleand efficient hub or coupling to be employed for connecting together the ends of two shafts, the said hub having its bearing-surfaces in contact with one part of the shaft adapted to yield under the action of certain wedges, to be hereinafter described, they springing and forcing the said bearingsurfaces against and so as to clamp the shafts placed centrally in theisaid hub, the said surface adapting itself readily to the diameters of the ends of the said shafts should they vary in size within certain limits.

In this my invention I employ a cast-.metal hub having its bearing-surfaces separated in halves by coring, one of the said halves being connected with the interior, of the hub-shell only at one side thereof, the said half being further divided transversely near its center to form two independent adjustable parts, as will be describedrhereinafter, so th at each part may be sprung independently bya suitable wedge.

Figure l represents in longitudinal section one of my improved hubs for a shaft-coupling applied to the ends of two shafts, shown in elevation, the said gure showing the wedges in section, the line of section being represented by the dotted line x, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an end view of the hub for the coupling.` Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section thereof on the dotted line x, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents my invention embodied in the hub of a belt-pulley, and Fig. 5 is a separate view of one of the wedges.

The hub A, of usual construction, has a bearing-surface, a, herein shown as a web connected at each end with the interior of the shell of the hub, the open space c2 next the said surface being left only for the purpose of saving metal and properly distributing and balancing the mass of metal. The uppermost bearingsurface, I), of the hub, as shown in the drawings, bored to fit the shafts c c, is attached to the interior of the shell by the narrow web b. (Shown clearly in Fig. 2.) This surface bis sepa- `rated from the portion a and from theinterior of the shell ofthe hub by coring, leaving the surface b as a projecting arm or lever, adapted by its convexed face to fit and inclose snugly 5 nearly one-half the circumference of the shafts touched by it, and in the drawings it will, be noticed that both corners 2 8 of the arm or leverlike portion b b are so connected with the shell of the hub A that the corners 2 and 3 of the sur- 60 face b and the conti nuous surface between them are free to be moved toward and from the bearin g-sur'face (l, thus enabling the part I the only part of the hub which is made adj ustable to bear uniformly upon the shaft, and to f1tall 6 the parts of the said shaft equally under all adjustments, which would n ot be the case were it not for the space l between the corner 2 and the interior. of the shell of the hub. If the space 4 were iilled with metal, it is obvious 7 that the concavcd part of the surface b in contact with the shaft under it 4could not be ad-` justed and be made to bear uniformly upon the periphery of the shaft touched by it, for the part of the said surface at the point marked 7 2 could not yield as the part thereof marked 3. So the open space 4 becomes, it will be seen, a matter of much importance, and is necessary to insure a powerful and uniform grasp of the shaft as the said surface b is adjusted. The part Z1 1)',along one side and near the interior of the shell, is provided with a tapering or inclined key-seat, shown best in Fig, l, and

marked 6 in Fig. 3, and in the said figure, as in Fig. 3, it will be observed that the part b is vides the said hub into two pieces, thus enabling each of said pieces-one being con nected with the hub-shell near one and the other with the hub-Shell near its other endto be sprung or moved independently to adapt the said separate portions I b to the ends of the two shafts c c, which may be of different diameters. These separate portions b b, both alike and marked alike, are acted upon each by an independent wedge, e, herein shown as made hollow to receive the screw-rod f, threaded at each end, and provided with nuts 7L to adjust the said wedges and force them into the space 10 left between the bearing parts I) and the interior of the hub-shell.

By employing a rod threaded at each end and a nut for each end of the rod, instead of a rod with a head at one end and a screw and nut at separated transversely by a slot, 5, which di- IOO its other end, I ain enabled to maintain the rod I 4 it will be understood that I may use a sinalways inthe saine position with relation to having a head, as stated, and a nut only at one end, the rod would have to be moved longitudinally; but with the two nuts-one at eaeh end-the rod may remain stationary and only the nuts be moved.

The wedges herein shown, having smooth taperi ng sides or acting faees, may be moved longitudinally by a blow 'from a han'nner or other wise, whieh would not be possible were the i wedges made as serews entered into serewthreaded openings formed onehal t' in the parts and the other halt' in the hub-shell. Sueh a screw-wedge to move it would require the expenditure ot' very considerable power. Each wedge e, at one side, has an ear, 8, against which, when it is desired to remove a closelyfltted wedge from between the shell and part b b', a rod or bar of iron .may be placed and the wedge be started by a bl ow on the said bar.

Some part ot" the rod f will be, or all oi' it may be, made square or ot' other shape than round, to prevent the rod turning inV the said wedges.

I do not broadly elaiin a hub or shell having one portion ot' its hub made adjustable b v a wedgedike deviee, so as to be (clamped upon a shaft.

In Fig. 111, I have shown the hub so far deseribed as provided with arms m and a beltreeeiving portion, n, and it will be understood that the surfaces a. b b may be employed in the hub oi' a belt or other pulley without departing from my invention, as my invention relates to the hub, and-in a hub sueh as shown in Fig.

-gle wedge. the ends of the hub, whereas with the rod I elaiinl. The hub-shell provided with the fixed bearing-surface (t and the bearing-surface b, eonneeted at one end withY and extended from the hub-shell by the neel; b, as described, eombined with an adjustable wedge to spring or 45 foree the parts b b toward the part (t, as set forth.

2. The hub-shell, its bearing-surface (l, and the independently-adjustable part, Combined with the wedges, substantially as described, tow5o Clamp and hold the ends oi' the two shai'ts, as set ii'orth.

.5. The hub-shell and the parts b b eonneeted therewith, as deseribed, eoinbined with a wedge having an ear, S, as and for the purpose set 55 forth.

4. The hubshell and its parts a. l) b eonneeted therewith, as described, eoinbined with the wedges and with a rod having adjustingnuts at each end to operate the wedges, as set 6o i'orth.

5. The hub-shell and its parts (r. b b eonneeted therewith, as shown and described, and the hollow wedges, Combined withv the rod f,

having nuts at its ends to inove the wedges, as 65 set forth.

[n testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this speeiiieation in the presenee of two sub seribing witnesses.

ROBERT XVIIITEHILL.

IVitiiesses:

G. XV. GREGORY, B. J. Noves. 

